These yoghurt kebabs are absolutely delicious and are easy to make with simple everyday ingredients. They are soft and creamy on the inside but have a lovely crisp exterior. They are generally made with yoghurt that has been drained overnight so that it becomes thick and almost cheesy and is then bound with a little paneer. They are really versatile and can be eaten as they are, dipped in a little green chutney, served with a lightly dressed salad or topped with some of my basil chutney and some finely chopped tomato.
Ingredients
250 g Greek yoghurt, thick bit
30 g mature Cheddar cheese, finely grated
2 medium slices white bread, crumbed
30 g gram flour
½ medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium clove garlic, finely chopped
10 g ginger, peeled weight, finely chopped
½-1 green chilli, seeded and optional
1/3 small red capsicum, finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh chopped coriander
Salt and black pepper to taste
¾ tsp garam masala or to taste
½ tsp roasted cumin powder
3 tbs vegetable oil plus
For the basil chutney:
1 bunch fresh basil, leaves picked and washed
2 large handfuls coriander leaves and stalks
20 shelled unsalted pistachios
1 small clove garlic clove, peeled
2-3 tsp lemon juice, or to taste
Preparation
Add the gram flour to a non-stick frying pan and dry roast over a gentle heat, stirring often until the gram flour has a lovely toasted smell and turns a golden colour, around four to five minutes. Pour and scrape into a large bowl.
Clean the pan and add and heat one tablespoon of the oil in it. Add the onion; cook gently until just softening. Add the garlic and ginger and salt and cook until it no longer smells of raw garlic, around 40-50 seconds.
Stir in the garam masala and roasted cumin powder; take off the heat and add the gram flour along with the yoghurt, cheese, ¾ of the bread crumbs, coriander, green chillies, capsicum and black pepper. Stir well to combine and season to taste. It should be creamy but firm enough to roll into little balls. If not you will need to add some more crumbs. Give the pan a wipe.
Heat half the remaining oil in the saucepan. Make little balls of the mixture, flatten and add to the pan, the oil should be hot and cook gently until the bottom is a lovely golden brown.
Flip over and cook until this side is deep golden too. Place on absorbent kitchen roll. Serve immediately as they are, with green chutney or topped with a little basil chutney.
For the basil chutney, blend together all these ingredients until smooth, add enough water for a thick creamy chutney; season to taste and adjust lemon juice to taste and serve.